Asian Lettuce Wraps

I LOVE LOVE LOVE lettuce wraps. Quite honestly, I don't know a person who doesn't! I remember the first time I had them! My sweet friend Monty made them for our small group and I instantly fell madly in love with them! I was hooked!

I tried them for a second time at The Elephant Bar in Toledo, Oh. Then for a third time at PF Changs in Novi, MI. I have to admit that between the two restaurants, I liked the ones at The Elephant Bar a little better. They are made with turkey and have a peanut sauce that is to DIE FOR. No - I'm really not kidding. It's an "opener" on their menu, but I could go just for those. And I always get an extra side of the sauce!! It's a little on the spicy side, but the mango salsa they serve on the side cuts the spiciness just enough.

So - I was on a mission to find the best Asian Lettuce Wraps recipe I could find. Granted, they won't be The Elephant Bar's, but hey - I'll save myself the 35 minute drive and the 25 minute wait for a table! :) Besides - if I can master these, I'm fairly certain I'll gain some new dinner guests as a result!

Here is the recipe I've decided to try. If YOU get to these before I do - PLEASE let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your feedback! :)

Happy Cooking!



Ingredients for pouring sauce:

* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup warm water
* 2 tablespoons gluten free tamari (or regular soy sauce if you’re not concerned
about gluten)
* 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
* 2 tablespoons ketchup
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
* 1 teaspoon hot water
* 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
* 2 cloves garlic, minced

Ingredients for stir-fry sauce:

* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Ingredients for chicken stir-fry:

* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons sesame oil
* 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed to 1/2″
* 1 – 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, minced to the size of corn kernals
* 1/2 cup mushrooms, minced to the size of corn kernals
* 1/2 onion, chopped fine
* 3 cloves garlic, minced fine
* 6 large leaves of iceberg lettuce or nappa cabbage

To make the pouring sauce:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in 1/2 cup warm water, then add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil. Mix well and throw in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
2. Just before serving, combine 1 teaspoons hot water with dijon mustard and garlic and mix in small bowl. Add to the pouring sauce, 1/2 a teaspoon at time to taste.

To make the stir-fry sauce:

1. Prep the stir fry sauce by mixing soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar in a small bowl.

To make the chicken stir-fry:

1. Combine oils and add to wok or large frying pan. Heat oil over high heat until it glistens, about one minute. Add chicken and saute until mostly cooked through, about 5 minutes.
2. Turn the heat under the wok down to medium-high. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, wait one minute, and then add garlic, onions, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and the stir-fry sauce you prepared earlier. Stir-fry everything until the mushrooms have cooked through, about 4 minutes, and remove to a serving dish.
3. Serve stir-fry with iceberg lettuce or nappa cabbage leaf wraps and top with pouring sauce.